Sarcoma Alliance for Research through Collaboration

This marks a significant step forward in the multi-regional partnership between Deciphera and Medison ZUG, Switzerland and TORONTO, Sept. 29, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Medison Pharma ("Medison"), a global pharma company focused on providing access to highly innovative therapies to patients in international markets, is pleased to announce the public formulary listing of QINLOCK® in Canadian provinces: Ontario and Quebec. These provinces join Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program, further broadening the public formulary coverage for adult patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) who have previously been treated with imatinib, sunitinib, and regorafenib. QINLOCK was developed by Deciphera Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: DCPH), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing important new medicines to improve the lives of people with cancer. With the recent expansion of QINLOCK's listing, Medison, having entered into a multi-regional partnership with Deciphera in November 2020, remains committed to accelerating access for fourth-line GIST patients in an increasing number of provinces across Canada. "Our profound commitment to the patients and communities we serve drives our ongoing efforts to broaden access to QINLOCK. Now covered in five pivotal provinces and the NIHB, we are dedicated to ensuring that every advanced GIST patient in the remaining provinces in Canada will have access to this treatment," remarks Pamela Minden, Country Manager at Medison Pharma in Canada. "Advanced GIST is a very rare and complex disease," said Dr. Albiruni Razak, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Mount Sinai Hospital. "Following its availability in late 2020, QINLOCK has offered patients with 4L GIST new hope. The addition of provincial formulary coverage for this important product is a welcome advancement." GIST is a cancer that occurs in the gastrointestinal tract, most commonly in the stomach or small intestine. Soft tissue cancers such as GIST are very rare and comprise about one per cent of all cancers.[i] About QINLOCK (ripretinib) [ii] QINLOCK is a switch-control tyrosine kinase inhibitor that was engineered to broadly inhibit KIT and PDGFRA mutated kinases by using a dual mechanism of action that regulates the kinase switch pocket and activation loop. QINLOCK inhibits primary and secondary KIT mutations in exons 9, 11, 13, 14, 17, and 18 involved in GIST, as well as the primary exon 17 D816V mutation. QINLOCK also inhibits primary PDGFRA mutations in exons 12, 14, and 18, including the exon 18 D842V mutation, involved in a subset of GIST. QINLOCK is approved by Health Canada and indicated for the treatment of adult patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) who have received prior treatment with imatinib, sunitinib, and regorafenib. QINLOCK was developed by Deciphera Pharmaceuticals (NASAQ: DCPH). Following its Health Canada approval in June 2020, Deciphera entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Medison in November 2020 to commercialize the product in Canada and Israel for the treatment of fourth-line GIST. Consult the complete QINLOCK Product Monograph for further information on contraindications, warnings, precautions, adverse reactions, and dosage and administration. The Product Monograph can be found by visiting or by calling 1-800-696-1341. About Deciphera Pharmaceuticals Deciphera is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing important new medicines to improve the lives of people with cancer. Deciphera is leveraging its proprietary switch-control kinase inhibitor platform and deep expertise in kinase biology to develop a broad portfolio of innovative medicines. In addition to advancing multiple product candidates from our platform in clinical studies, QINLOCK® is Deciphera's switch-control inhibitor for the treatment of fourth-line GIST. QINLOCK is approved in Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, Hong Kong, Israel, Macau, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. For more information, visit . About Medison Pharma Medison is a global pharma company focused on providing access to highly innovative therapies to patients in international markets. Medison is the first to create an international commercialization platform for highly innovative therapies, helping to save and improve lives by making the best available novel treatments accessible to patients in international markets. Medison has a track record of multi-territorial partnerships with leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies seeking to expand their global reach. Medison is also an active investor in disruptive healthcare technologies and provides its partners with exposure to innovation in biotech and digital health. To learn more visit For additional information, please contact: Medison Pharma Inbal Chen, Corporate Communications M: +972 54 440 0784 E: [email protected] Canadian media inquiries: Dara Willis, Gage Communications M: 416-836-9272 E: [email protected] [i] GIST Sarcoma Life Raft Group Canada (LRG Canada). . Accessed September 27, 2023. [ii] QINLOCK Product Monograph. SOURCE Medison Pharma

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SARC (Sarcoma Alliance for Research Through Collaboration) is pleased to announce that Jonathan Fletcher, M.D., has been appointed Chief Scientific Officer (CSO), a new role at this non-profit cancer research organization which leads collaborative discovery, translational research, and clinical trials in sarcoma, a form of cancer that impacts children and adults. SARC (Sarcoma Alliance for Research Through Collaboration) appoints Jonathan Fletcher, M.D. as Chief Scientific Officer. Dr. Fletcher is a lab-based medical and pediatric oncologist at Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. He is also trained in genetics. Dr. Fletcher also serves on the SARC Board of Directors and on its Scientific Steering, Career Development, and Discovery/Translation Committees. As CSO, Dr. Fletcher will expand SARC commitments in sarcoma biology, discovery science, and biomarkers, thereby strengthening SARC's portfolio of clinical trials. State-of-the-art correlative science studies will continue to be a SARC priority, and efforts to maximize clinical trial data-sharing with the scientific community will be increased. "Dr. Fletcher is an inspirational leader in sarcoma research and, apropos to this appointment, is widely recognized for his commitment to advancing the team science efforts which are so key to accelerating discoveries from the lab to the clinic," said Steven Young, President and Chief Executive Officer of SARC. "SARC welcomes the opportunity to further deepen Dr. Fletcher's hands-on engagement supporting our mission to convert sarcoma biologic discoveries into more effective treatments." Dr. Fletcher will also serve as chief spokesperson for SARC's scientific strategy, translating sarcoma science for diverse audiences such as the NIH, patient advocates, sarcoma clinicians, and SARC industry partners. "SARC fosters multi-institutional collaborations, providing expertise in clinical trials, biostatistics, and biospecimen processing," said Dr. Fletcher. "We now aim to expand SARC's commitment to discovery and translational sciences. One goal is to integrate more science in each SARC clinical trial, explaining why new therapies help some people and not others. This will enable us to refine the therapeutic approaches, helping more people and reducing needless treatment toxicity." To learn more about the SARC organization, its impactful programs, and clinical trials, and how to help support its mission, please visit the SARC website at . About SARC SARC (Sarcoma Alliance for Research Through Collaboration) is a US-based, non-profit (501(c)(3)) sarcoma research cooperative solely dedicated to fostering progress in the prevention and treatment of sarcoma to improve patient outcomes and ultimately find a cure. What Is Sarcoma? Sarcomas are cancers of the bony skeleton (the skull, vertebrae, ribs, and extremities), and the so-called soft tissues, including muscle and fat. Sarcomas are disproportionately common in children and young adults but occur at all ages. There are many different types of sarcomas, leading to diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. SARC and our collaborators are working to advance the science and treatments of sarcomas.